USD 408 approves fifth-sixth grade departmentalization years ago
Staff writer
By a 6-1 vote, the Marion-Florence USD 408 Board of Education voted Monday to allow restructuring of the fifth and sixth grade classes at Marion Elementary School, but did not approve any particular class schedule.
Board member Keith Collett cast the no vote.
The restructuring will move fifth and sixth graders from the traditional elementary classroom where one teacher instructs his or her class in all core subjects — science, social studies, math, writing, and reading — to a departmentalized design where one teacher instructs all students in one particular core subject.
Under the proposal approved Monday night, instructor Nicki Case will teach science; Doug Dick, social studies; Marj Sandberg, math; Susie Best, writing; and an undetermined instructor will teach reading.
Classes like art, music, physical education, library, computers, and band will continue as is.
"Departmentalization makes a design for the student to be successful," MES principal Stan Ploutz told the board.
A fifth and sixth grade teaching combination will allow for teacher mastery of subject content, better serve students with curriculum needs, and establish collaborative goal setting for teachers, according to information provided by Ploutz.
Although students will move from classroom to classroom, just like older students at the middle and high school levels, Ploutz said transition times would be minimal with controlled locker breaks.
"We wouldn't have a lot of mixing between fifth and sixth grade students," he said. "Switches would be smooth."
Ploutz provided a schedule which showed students beginning each day in a 20-minute homeroom period. The students would move from class to class with each class divided into a 45-minute block. A 20-minute recess break was included in the schedule
Students would end the morning returning to homeroom for instruction and lunch. The afternoon would be spent in band, music, art, library, computers, and time for fifth and sixth grade study skills, concluding with a final homeroom.
Board member Collett said he attended a meeting this past week for parents of next year's fifth and sixth graders where they were informed of the concept.
"I haven't heard positive feedback from fourth grade parents," Collett said. "Do we have to sacrifice the intimacy of the classroom and the student-teacher relationship?"
Collett said the schedule called for "no less" than 11 transitions.
"You're talking about moving from room to room. You have to finish up the lesson, line up, go to the next room," Collett said.
Estimating it would take at least five minutes to move from class to class, Collett said they were looking at "55 minutes of transition time."
Collett also said the afternoon schedule would give core teachers two hours of preparation time. Teachers disagreed, saying that was incorrect.
Board member Chris Sprowls said he believed departmentalizing would improve student learning as well as test scores.
Sprowls noted in the federally mandated "No Child Left Behind" program, USD 408 test scores of fourth graders are in the 90th percentile; however, as they get older test scores drop down to the 60th percentile.
He said allowing instructors to teach the subject areas they were strongest in would make a better learning environment for all students.
"I like the idea of five people who are really honed in on the subject they are teaching," Sprowls said.
Board member Kathy Meierhoff agreed, saying she believed that one teacher teaching all students the same subject would mean each student would be "learning the same thing."
1In an unrelated matter, the board approved the creation of a transitional first-grade classroom. The class would be for kindergarten students who would otherwise have to repeat kindergarten.
"We've identified seven or eight students who are struggling to meet kindergarten outcomes," Ploutz said. "Transitional first grade would be more focused in on reading and math."
Ploutz said after completing transitional first grade, most students will then be ready for a regular first grade classroom.
However, if the students do "catch up" it could give them the chance to advance to second grade with their peers, Superintendent Gerald Henderson said.
First-grade teacher Michelle Adkins explained the transitional program could serve students who come into the district who have "moved a lot" and missed learning basic skills.
"With this program there's a chance we can get them back on grade level," Adkins said.
There's also a positive budget side to offering transitional first grade, Henderson explained. When arriving at enrollment figures for state budget funding, kindergarten students only count as one-half student.
"Transitional first grade students will count as 1.0 (student). But if they repeat kindergarten they only count as .5," Henderson said.
"If you catch kids early and spend the time to catch them up, they will," Henderson said. "Otherwise, they'll always be behind."
